Evening Stroll Through the Heart of the City

by | Sep 6, 2013 | Johannesburg, Johannesburg City Centre, Museums and Buildings, Tours | 8 comments

You thought I was finished talking about the Joburg City Festival, didn’t you? Nope, not quite.

Last week I went on an evening walking tour through the middle of town with Gerald Garner of JoburgPlaces, followed by dinner at the Apprentice Penthouse.

View from Apprentice

View from the Apprentice Penthouse balcony.

I’ve walked this area before, both on my own and with JoburgPlaces, and I’ve been to the Apprentice Penthouse before too. But the unique part of this tour for me, besides the fact that it started and ended in Joburg’s most luxurious penthouse, was that the walk was at nightfall. Walking in Joburg at night is always magical, and I’d never walked in this particular area after dark before. It was so lovely and peaceful — the corporate mining district is all office buildings so there were very few cars or people around.

Even though most of the photos I took were of things I’ve already photographed during the day, these pictures are different because they were taken as day turned to night.

Apprentice cityscape

Late-afternoon skyline view from the Apprentice Penthouse.

Mandela building

I found this building oddly pretty as the sun was going down.

Fox Street and Mandela

Sunset on Fox Street behind the Shadow Boxer, my favorite piece of public art in the city.

Shadow Boxer again

The Shadow Boxer, which is normally hard to portray in pictures, photographs nicely at sunset.

Black and white cat

A gang of feral cats live in the garden in front of the Anglo American building on Main Street. I’ve never seen them there during the day, only in the late afternoon and evening. I wonder how they came to live on this small patch of grass amidst miles of concrete. The cats seem to be well cared for. Anyone know the story?

Masked cat

Masked kitty.

Cat looking down

Staring into the light.

Mapungubwe Rhino

The Mapungubwe Rhino gleams beneath the Standard Bank building on Main Street. Read the rhino’s story.

Gandhi at night

Gandhi Square is stunning at night.

Turret at night

The Turret. I’d never seen it at night before. Amazing.

Apprentice dinner

Back at the Penthouse, ready for dinner. This was a fun evening.

I’m not totally sure yet, but this may be my last Joburg City Festival post. In fact, I’m leaving this weekend for a three-week trip to America so this could be my last Joburg post for a while. I have a feeling I’ll check in one more time before I get on the plane though.

Browse all of my Joburg City Festival posts.

8 Comments

  1. Gilberte KOFFI

    Thanks to let us discover Joburg…Safe return to America

    Reply
    • 2summers

      Thanks Gilberte 🙂

      Reply
  2. Lee

    I found the wall paper in the Appentice apartment fascinating. Even the wallpaper in the “library” is quite something too.

    Reply
    • 2summers

      Yes, it’s quite a place! Weird but interesting.

      Reply
  3. eremophila

    Stunning at night, love your work Heather – don’t be gone too long! ♥

    Reply
  4. darlenekasten

    Great post and images. Safe travels!

    Reply
    • 2summers

      Thanks, Darlene.

      Reply

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